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Commentary on Psalms 39 verses 7–13
The psalmist, having meditated on the shortness and uncertainty of life, and the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend all the comforts of life, here, in these verses, turns his eyes and heart heaven-ward. When there is no solid satisfaction to be had in the creature it is to be found in God, and in communion with him; and to him we should be driven by our disappointments in the world. David here expresses,
I. His dependence on God, Psa 39:7. Seeing all is vanity, and man himself is so, 1. He despairs of a happiness in the things of the world, and disclaims all expectations from it: "Now, Lord, what wait I for? Even nothing from the things of sense and time; I have nothing to wish for, nothing to hope for, from this earth." Note, The consideration of the vanity and frailty of human life should deaden our desires to the things of this world and lower our expectations from it. "If the world be such a thing as this, God deliver me from having, or seeking, my portion in it." We cannot reckon upon constant health and prosperity, nor upon comfort in any relation; for it is all as uncertain as our continuance here. "Though I have sometimes foolishly promised myself this and the other from the world, I am now of another mind." 2. He takes hold of happiness and satisfaction in God: My hope is in thee. Note, When creature-confidences fail, it is our comfort that we have a God to go to, a God to trust to, and we should thereby be quickened to take so much the faster hold of him by faith.
II. His submission to God, and his cheerful acquiescence in his holy will, Psa 39:9. If our hope be in God for a happiness in the other world, we may well afford to reconcile ourselves to all the dispensations of his providence concerning us in this world: "I was dumb; I opened not my mouth in a way of complaint and murmuring." He now again recovered that serenity and sedateness of mind which were disturbed, Psa 39:2. Whatever comforts he is deprived of, whatever crosses he is burdened with, he will be easy. "Because thou didst it; it did not come to pass by chance, but according to thy appointment." We may here see, 1. A good God doing all, and ordering all events concerning us. Of every event we may say, "This is the finger of God; it is the Lord's doing," whoever were the instruments. 2. A good man, for that reason, saying nothing against it. He is dumb, he has nothing to object, no question to ask, no dispute to raise upon it. All that God does is well done.
III. His desire towards God, and the prayers he puts up to him. Is any afflicted? let him pray, as David here,
1.For the pardoning of his sin and the preventing of his shame, Psa 39:8. Before he prays (Psa 39:10), Remove thy stroke from me, he prays (Psa 39:8), "Deliver me from all my offences, from the guilt I have contracted, the punishment I have deserved, and the power of corruption by which I have been enslaved." When God forgives our sins he delivers us from them, he delivers us from them all. He pleads, Make me not a reproach to the foolish. Wicked people are foolish people; and they then show their folly most when they think to show their wit, by scoffing at God's people. When David prays that God would pardon his sins, and not make him a reproach, it is to be taken as a prayer for peace of conscience ("Lord, leave me not to the power of melancholy, which the foolish will laugh at me for"), and as a prayer for grace, that God would never leave him to himself, so far as to do any thing that might make him a reproach to bad men. Note, This is a good reason why we should both watch and pray against sin, because the credit of our profession is nearly concerned in the preservation of our integrity.
2.For the removal of his affliction, that he might speedily be eased of his present burdens (Psa 39:10): Remove thy stroke away from me. Note, When we are under the correcting hand of God our eye must be to God himself, and not to any other, for relief. He only that inflicts the stroke can remove it; and we may then in faith, and with satisfaction, pray that our afflictions may be removed, when our sins are pardoned (Isa 38:17), and when, as here, the affliction is sanctified and has done its work, and we are humbled under the hand of God.
(1.)He pleads the great extremity he was reduced to by his affliction, which made him the proper object of God's compassion: I am consumed by the blow of thy hand. His sickness prevailed to such a degree that his spirits failed, his strength was wasted, and his body emaciated. "The blow, or conflict, of thy hand has brought me even to the gates of death." Note, The strongest, and boldest, and best of men cannot bear up under, much less make head against, the power of God's wrath. It was not his case only, but any man will find himself an unequal match for the Almighty, Psa 39:11. When God, at any time, contends with us, when with rebukes he corrects us, [1.] We cannot impeach the equity of his controversy, but must acknowledge that he is righteous in it; for, whenever he corrects man, it is for iniquity. Our ways and our doings procure the trouble to ourselves, and we are beaten with a rod of our own making. It is the yoke of our transgressions, though it be bound with his hand, Lam 1:14. [2.] We cannot oppose the effects of his controversy, but he will be too hard for us. As we have nothing to move in arrest of his judgment, so we have no way of escaping the execution. God's rebukes make man's beauty to consume away like a moth; we often see, we sometimes feel, how much the body is weakened and decayed by sickness in a little time; the countenance is changed; where are the ruddy cheek and lip, the sprightly eye, the lively look, the smiling face? It is the reverse of all this that presents itself to view. What a poor thing is beauty; and what fools are those that are proud of it, or in love with it, when it will certainly, and may quickly, be consumed thus! Some make the moth to represent man, who is as easily crushed as a moth with the touch of a finger, Job 4:19. Others make it to represent the divine rebukes, which silently and insensibly waste and consume us, as the moth does the garment. All this abundantly proves what he had said before, that surely every man is vanity, weak and helpless; so he will be found when God comes to contend with him.
(2.)He pleads the good impressions made upon him by his affliction. He hoped that the end was accomplished for which it was sent, and that therefore it would be removed in mercy; and unless an affliction has done its work, though it may be removed, it is not removed in mercy. [1.] It had set him a weeping, and he hoped God would take notice of that. When the Lord God called to mourning, he answered the call and accommodated himself to the dispensation, and therefore could, in faith, pray, Lord, hold not thy peace at my tears, Psa 39:12. He that does not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men, much less his own children, will not hold his peace at their tears, but will either speak deliverance for them (and, if he speak, it is done) or in the mean time speak comfort to them and make them to hear joy and gladness. [2.] It had set him a praying; and afflictions are sent to stir up prayer. If they have that effect, and when we are afflicted we pray more, and pray better, than before, we may hope that God will hear our prayer and give ear to our cry; for the prayer which by his providence he gives occasion for, and which by his Spirit of grace he indites, shall not return void. [3.] It had helped to wean him from the world and to take his affections off from it. Now he began, more than ever, to look upon himself as a stranger and sojourner here, like all his fathers, not at home in this world, but travelling through it to another, to a better, and would never reckon himself at home till he came to heaven. He pleads it with God: "Lord, take cognizance of me, and of my wants and burdens, for I am a stranger here, and therefore meet with strange usage; I am slighted and oppressed as a stranger; and whence should I expect relief but from thee, from that other country to which I belong?"
3.He prays for a reprieve yet a little longer (Psa 39:13): "O spare me, ease me, raise me up from this illness that I may recover strength both in body and mind, that I may get into a more calm and composed frame of spirit, and may be better prepared for another world, before I go hence by death, and shall be no more in this world." Some make this to be a passionate wish that God would send him help quickly or it would be too late, like that, Job 10:20, Job 10:21. But I rather take it as a pious prayer that God would continue him here till by his grace he had made him fit to go hence, and that he might finish the work of life before his life was finished. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee.
The strong hand strikes as though harshly, but it is swift to heal. If it is powerful to wound, it is also powerful when it comes to applying a remedy. As the Lord says, “I will strike, and I will heal.” … This hand of the Lord took from Job all that he had and gave it all back again. In fact, he greatly added to Job’s store of good things, even doubling what he had before. Do not be troubled because David says he has fainted. A person can faint and rise up stronger than before. “The Lord lifts up all that fall and sets up all that are cast down.” Whoever is corrected will rise up with virtue.
"Remove Your stroke away from me" [Psalm 39:10]. Because it is "Thou that hast made me," let it not be Your pleasure to destroy me utterly; scourge, so that I may be made better, not so that I faint; beat me, so that I may be beaten out to a greater length and breadth, not so that I may be ground to powder. "By the heaviness of Your hand I fainted in corrections." That is, I "fainted" while You were correcting me. And what is meant by "correcting" me? Except what follows.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 39:10 articulates a profoundly raw and desperate plea from the psalmist to God, expressing the overwhelming burden of suffering he perceives as a direct divine chastisement. This verse is a poignant and urgent cry for immediate relief from intense affliction, revealing a soul utterly consumed by pain, yet simultaneously acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty even over personal anguish and discipline. It encapsulates the deep human struggle to reconcile intense suffering with a benevolent God, culminating in a fervent appeal for divine mercy and intervention from the very source of his perceived affliction.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 39 is a deeply personal and introspective lament, forming part of a collection of Davidic psalms (Psalms 38-41) that frequently grapple with themes of sin, suffering, and divine discipline. The psalm opens with the psalmist's resolute vow to maintain silence and guard his tongue, particularly in the presence of the wicked, to avoid speaking rashly or complaining about his affliction. His intention is to prevent his suffering from being misconstrued or used by the unrighteous as an indictment against God's justice or his own faith, as seen in Psalms 39:1-3. However, the intensity of his internal anguish and suffering becomes unbearable, causing a "fire" to burn within him, compelling him to break his silence and speak directly to God. He then meditates on the brevity and fleeting nature of human life, recognizing that all humanity is but "a breath" and "a mere phantom" (Psalms 39:4-6). It is against this backdrop of human fragility, the psalmist's own overwhelming distress, and his prior commitment to silence that he turns to his personal affliction, culminating in the direct and anguished appeal of verse 10, where he attributes his suffering to God's hand and pleads for its removal.
Historical & Cultural Context: While the specific historical occasion for Psalm 39 is not explicitly stated, its themes resonate with periods of David's life marked by profound personal suffering, illness, or divine chastisement, such as those described in 2 Samuel 12 following his sin with Bathsheba, or the general tenor of Psalm 38. In ancient Israelite thought, suffering, particularly severe illness or calamity, was often understood as a direct consequence of sin or a form of divine discipline, as articulated in the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:15-68. While the book of Job later complicates this simplistic correlation, this perspective deeply influenced the psalmist's interpretation of his own plight. The "stroke" or "blow" would have been understood as a tangible manifestation of God's displeasure or corrective action, a common biblical motif for divine judgment or chastisement. The psalmist's plea for its removal reflects a deep-seated belief in God's power to both inflict and alleviate suffering, and the cultural expectation that a repentant or suffering individual could appeal directly to their sovereign God for mercy and restoration.
Key Themes: Psalm 39, and verse 10 in particular, powerfully contributes to several overarching themes found throughout the Psalms and the broader biblical narrative. A prominent theme is the brevity and vanity of human life, emphasizing human frailty and transience before an eternal God, a concept deeply explored in Ecclesiastes 1. This awareness often intensifies the psalmist's sense of suffering and urgency, highlighting the limited time for earthly affliction. Another key theme is divine sovereignty over suffering, where the psalmist explicitly attributes his affliction to God's "hand," acknowledging God's ultimate control over all circumstances, even painful ones. This aligns with the understanding that God uses suffering for various purposes, including discipline, as seen in Hebrews 12:5-11. The psalm also explores the struggle between silence and speech in the face of overwhelming pain, highlighting the human tendency to suppress lament but ultimately finding release and solace in honest communication with God. Finally, the verse encapsulates a desperate plea for divine mercy and intervention, demonstrating that even when suffering is perceived as divine discipline, hope for relief rests solely in God's compassionate power, echoing the cries for deliverance found throughout the book of Lamentations 3.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 39:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey the psalmist's anguish and fervent plea. Direct address is immediately evident, as the psalmist speaks directly to God ("Remove thy stroke away from me"), creating an intimate and urgent tone that underscores the personal nature of his lament. Metaphor is central to the imagery, with "stroke" and "blow of thine hand" serving as powerful metaphors for severe affliction or divine chastisement. These are not literal physical blows but represent the overwhelming impact of God's disciplinary action or judgment, conveying the psalmist's perception of divine agency in his suffering. The term "consumed" is a vivid hyperbole, emphasizing the extreme and debilitating nature of the suffering, suggesting a complete wasting away rather than just discomfort or pain. The parallelism between "thy stroke" and "the blow of thine hand" reinforces the singular source and nature of the affliction, creating a rhythmic emphasis on God's direct agency and the psalmist's profound conviction regarding it. Finally, the verse is a profound example of lament, a common genre in the Psalms, characterized by direct complaint, confession of suffering, and an earnest appeal for divine intervention, often rooted in a deep, albeit struggling, faith.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 39:10 stands as a powerful testament to the complex relationship between human suffering and divine sovereignty. It underscores the biblical truth that God is not distant from human pain but is intimately involved, sometimes even as the direct agent of discipline or chastisement. This perspective, while challenging to modern sensibilities, invites believers to approach God with radical honesty in their suffering, acknowledging His hand even when it brings pain. It points to a theology where suffering is not always random or meaningless, but can serve a divine purpose, drawing the afflicted closer to God in desperate dependence and refining their character. The psalmist's plea for removal, despite acknowledging divine agency, demonstrates an unwavering hope in God's mercy and power to alleviate even the most severe, divinely-sent afflictions, highlighting that even in judgment, God remains the ultimate source of deliverance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 39:10 offers profound guidance for believers navigating periods of intense suffering. It validates the raw honesty of lament, encouraging us to bring our deepest pain and even our perceived grievances directly to God, without pretense or fear of offending Him. The psalmist's courageous acknowledgment of God's hand in his suffering, though agonizing, can be a pathway to deeper spiritual insight, prompting us to ask not merely "Why me?" but "What is God doing through this?" or "What is He teaching me?" This verse reminds us that even when we feel "consumed" by life's "blows," our ultimate hope and source of relief lie in the very God who permits or sends the affliction. It calls us to trust in His sovereign wisdom and loving purposes, even when they are inscrutable, and to persistently cry out for His mercy, knowing He hears and has the power to remove our burdens in His perfect timing and according to His perfect will. Our suffering, when brought before God, can become a crucible for deeper faith and dependence.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does God really "strike" people with suffering, or is this just an ancient way of speaking?
Answer: The language of God's "stroke" or "blow of His hand" in Psalms 39:10 reflects a profound theological perspective common in ancient Israel, where God was understood as sovereign over all events, including natural disasters, illness, and personal calamity. This does not necessarily mean God directly causes every specific instance of suffering as a punitive act for every sin. Rather, it emphasizes His ultimate control and permission over all circumstances. Sometimes, suffering is indeed a form of divine discipline, intended to correct or refine His children (Hebrews 12:5-11). Other times, it may be for testing faith (Job 1:8-12), or to reveal God's glory (John 9:1-3). The psalmist's language here is a profound acknowledgment of God's active involvement and sovereignty in all of life, rather than a simplistic one-to-one correlation between sin and suffering. It highlights that nothing is outside of God's ultimate purview, and therefore, relief must ultimately come from Him.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 39:10, with its agonizing cry under the "blow of thine hand," finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound reinterpretation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalmist laments a personal "stroke" of divine discipline, Christ willingly bore the ultimate "blow of God's hand" – the full weight of divine wrath against sin – not for His own transgression, but for ours. On the cross, Jesus became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, enduring the cosmic "stroke" of judgment that we deserved. The prophetic words of Isaiah 53:4-5 vividly portray this: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Through Christ's suffering, the "stroke" that consumes us due to sin is removed. Believers no longer face God's punitive hand for their sin, for Christ has absorbed it completely. Now, any suffering we experience is not condemnation, but often a loving discipline from a Father who refines His children (Hebrews 12:7-11), or a means by which we participate in Christ's sufferings, drawing us closer to Him and preparing us for future glory (Romans 8:17-18).